Host Mt. St. Joseph and St. John’s squared off in the opening game of the MAPHL season at The Gardens Ice House in Laurel on Monday night and treated fans to a high-scoring affair in the first league action in nearly 20 months.

St. John’s Andrew Kurowski stole the show by kicking off his senior season with a hat trick in the Cadets’ 7-2 victory.

The Gaels took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission after Liam Nilan opened the scoring four minutes, 31 seconds into the game. The Cadets’ Connor Hall tied the score at 6:43 before EJ Goveia gave the Gaels its last lead of the game.

Kurowski struck just 21 seconds into the second period to tie the score and start the Cadets’ string of six unanswered goals. John Carney notched the eventual game-winner on the power-play nearly six and a half minutes later and the rout was on. Kurowski completed his hat trick with consecutive goals—including a highlight reel tally that saw the Cadets’ captain burst around two defenders, go forehand to backhand and flip the puck past Gaels’ goalie Matt Pistner—before the second period was over. Charlie Benjamin and Reilly Doherty tallied goals in the third period to complete the scoring.

Chase Hornebecker made 23 saves on 25 shots on goal for St. John’s, while Pistner faced 38 shots, making 31 saves.